Kindred
The Facts * Vampires are immortal. They do not die or age from natural causes. * Vampires are living dead and must sustain themselves with the blood of the living. * If someone dies from a vampire’s bite they do not rise to become a vampire. * Vampires are not demons but they are inexorably drawn towards wicked deeds. The more wicked deeds they perform the more like a demon they may seem. * Vampires are burned by sunlight. * Vampires are not repulsed by garlic or running water. * Vampires are not repulsed by crosses and other holy symbols unless the wielder of the symbol has great faith in the power it represents. However, even then a vampire will only suffer ill effects. * Vampires do not die from a stake through the heart, though such a stake (arrow or crossbow bolt for instance) would paralyse the vampire until it is removed. * Newly created vampires are only a little more powerful than humans. Power increases with age. * Vampires do have sex. Sex is a great way to feed, but carnal pleasures don’t mean as much to the Kindred. Feeding, which vampires call “the Kiss,” is an incredibly intoxicating and erotic experience for Cainites and their victims. Sex is great, but nothing truly replaces the ecstasy of feeding for a vampire. The Embrace Vampires are created through a process called the Embrace. Some vampire Clans Embrace more casually than others, but the Embrace is almost never given lightly. After all, any new vampire is a potential competitor for food and power. A potential childe is often stalked for weeks or even years by a watchful sire, who greedily evaluates whether the mortal would indeed make a good addition to the society of the Kindred. The Embrace is similar to normal vampiric feeding as the vampire drains her chosen prey of blood. However, upon complete exsanguination, the vampire returns a bit of her own immortal blood to the drained mortal. Only a tiny bit — a drop or two — is necessary to turn the mortal into a new vampire. This process can even be performed on a dead human, provided the body is still warm. Once the blood is returned, the mortal “awakens” and begins drinking of his own accord. But, though animate, the mortal is still dead; his heart does not beat, nor does he breathe. Over the next week or two, the mortal’s body undergoes a series of subtle transformations; he learns to use the Blood in his body, and he is taught the special powers of his Clan. He is now a vampire. The Hunt When all is said and done, the most fundamental difference between humans and vampires lies in their methods of sustenance. Vampires may not subsist on mortal food; instead, they must maintain their eternal lives through the consumption of blood — fresh human blood. Vampires acquire their sustenance in many fashions. Some cultivate “herds” of willing mortals, who cherish the ecstasy of the vampire’s Kiss. Some creep into houses by night, feeding from sleeping humans. Some stalk the mortals’ playgrounds — the nightclubs, bars, and theatres — enticing mortals into illicit liaisons and disguising their predation as acts of passion. And yet others take their nourishment in the most ancient fashion — stalking, attacking, and incapacitating (or even killing) mortals who wander too far into lonely nocturnal alleys and empty lots. The Nocturnal World Vampires value power for its own sake and for the security it brings, and they find it ridiculously easy to acquire mundane goods, riches, and influence. A mesmerizing glance and a few words provide a cunning vampire with access to all the wealth, power, and servants he could desire. Some powerful vampires are capable of implanting posthypnotic suggestions or commands in mortals’ minds, then causing the mortals to forget the vampire’s presence. In this way, vampires can easily acquire legions of unwitting slaves. More than a few “public servants” and corporate barons secretly answer to vampire masters. Though there are exceptions, vampires tend to remain close to the cities. The city provides countless opportunities for predation, liaisons, and politicking — and the wilderness often proves dangerous. The wilds are the home of the Lupines, the werewolves, who are the Kindred’s ancestral enemies and desire nothing more than to destroy vampires outright. Category:The Traditions, Generations, Derangements, Justicar, Diablerie: The Armarnrh, The Beast and Humanity, The Jyhad